If you travel often, then you know that everyone is not treated equally. Most travelers endure long lines at airports, rental car centers, and when checking into hotels, while others receive priority service at every step of the way. And while most airline passengers are waiting for their flight in crowded gate areas and fast food restaurants, a select few are given the space to work or relax in a private airport lounge.

The key to receiving this preferred treatment is to have a premium travel rewards credit card. And while some of these products are airline cards that offer frequent flyer miles, there is an emerging class of credit cards that offers benefits that you can use when flying on any airline, and rewards points that can be transferred to miles with several different frequent flyer programs. The Citi Prestige and the Platinum card from American Express both offer a wide range of travel rewards and benefits that can be used across multiple airline, hotel, and rental car companies. Let's take a look at these two cards and see which one is right for you.

Citi Prestige® Card

Note: Some offer details have expired and/or are being changed by the issuer. Appropriate updates will be applied to the article when the changes have been finalized.

Citi's entry into the premium travel rewards market is a strong one. The Citi Prestige® Card from Citi, a Credit Cards Explained advertiser, offers 3x points for air travel and hotels, 2x points for dining and entertainment purchases, and 1 point per dollar spent on all other charges. Points are earned in Citi's ThankYou Rewards program and can be redeemed for merchandise, gift cards, and travel reservations. Alternatively, ThankYou points can be transferred to miles with 13 different airlines, the Hilton Honors program, or Sears Shop Our Way points.

The Citi Prestige card also offers customers two different airline travel fee credits. First, you can receive an annual $250 air travel statement credit that can be used for any flight related charges, even including airfare. You can also receive a one-time credit of $100 towards the Global Entry application fee. Having Global Entry gives you access to the TSA PreCheck lines as well as expedited processing at immigration when arriving in the United States on flights from other countries.

You can avoid the crowds at airports with access to the airport lounges in the Priority Pass network. Cardholders also receive a fourth night free when they book a three night stay through Citi's designated travel agent, even when you use your ThankYou points. Finally, Prestige cardholders receive numerous travel insurance and purchase protection policies including medical evacuation insurance, lost and delayed baggage protection, and even missed event ticket coverage.

New applicants can earn 75,000 bonus points after making $7,500 in purchases within three months of account opening. There is a $450 annual fee for this card, and a $50 fee for each additional authorized cardholder.

The Platinum Card® from American Express

American Express, a Credit Cards Explained advertiser, has a long history of offering premium travel rewards, and the Platinum Card® from American Express card has been its flagship product for decades. For each dollar spent, cardholders earn 1 point in the Membership Rewards program, and 5x points for flights and eligible hotels booked directly through American Express. Points can be redeemed for merchandise, gift cards, and travel reservations or transferred to 17 different frequent flyer programs.

In addition, cardholders receive membership in three airport lounge programs as part of the American Express Global Lounge Collection the Delta SkyClubs, the Priority Pass Select lounges, and the American Express Centurion lounges. Cardholders can also request elite status with Starwood and Hilton hotels as well as with Avis, Hertz, and National car rentals. American Express also offers cardmembers a $200 annual airline fee credit towards airline fees including luggage fees, change fees, and seat selection fees. The Platinum Card also features a one-time credit towards the Global Entry application fee.

Other recently added benefits include $15 per month in credits toward Uber rides, plus an additional $20 bonus in December, for a total of up to $200 annually. You'll also be given Uber VIP status to be matched with top rated drivers. American Express has also introduced its Global Dining Collection, which partners with top chefs to offer one-of-a-kind dining experiences.

This card currently offers new applicants 60,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 within three months of account opening. There is an annual fee of $550 for this card, and up to three additional Platinum cardholders can be added for a flat fee of $175, or additional Gold cards are available for no free. Finally, this is a charge card, so account holders are expected to pay each month's statement balance in full. However, American Express offers the Pay Over Time option to customers who wish to extend payment on certain charges.

How Do These Cards Compare?

The Platinum Card® from American Express comes out on top in several important areas. For example, it offers memberships with multiple lounge programs, including American Express's own Centurion lounges which are superior to most other domestic airline lounges. In contrast, Citi Prestige cardholders only receive one lounge network with relatively few locations in the US, with the Priority Pass Select program. The Platinum card also offers elite status with several hotel and rental car programs, which isn't a feature of the Prestige card.

Finally, the Membership Rewards program offers cardmembers the ability to transfer reward points to 17 airlines versus only 13 with the Citi Prestige. But more importantly, 12 of Citi's 13 airline transfer partners are foreign airlines, and some of these carriers offer little or no service to the United States. In contrast, the Membership Rewards airline transfer partners can be much more valuable. However, the Platinum card's $550 annual fee is $100 more than the than the Citi Prestige.

On the other hand, the Citi Prestige® Card does have some features that are superior to the Platinum card. For instance, the Citi Prestige offers far more travel insurance and purchase protection policies than even the American Express Platinum card. It also offers 3x and 2x rewards for several different categories of purchases, while the Platinum card has no comparable bonus categories. In addition, the Prestige card's fourth night free hotel benefit is unique and can be exceptionally valuable.

Bottom Line

Ultimately, these cards compete extremely closely with each other, and applicants need to decide which features and benefits they can best use. But with either card, customers will be able to enjoy numerous premium rewards and benefits that will always make their journeys more enjoyable.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jason Steele is a one of the leading journalists covering the credit card industry and travel rewards. His work appears at many of the top personal finance websites and is regularly syndicated by mainstream sites such as MSN Money and Yahoo! Finance. Learn more about Jason Steele

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